, still turning out advertising bait for the public.

"I don't care what they say," she panted; "we're going to make a lot of
money and buy the tents. I tripped on the third step in the house just
now and that means surely we'll have good luck and I can help just as
much as if I was a really truly scout, can't I? Aunt Jamsiah says if I
make a lot of doughnuts you'll just eat them all and there won't be any
to sell. We mustn't eat the things ourselves, must we?"

"That shows how much she knows," Pee-wee said; "we might have to do that
to make the people hungry. If they see me eating a doughnut and looking
very happy, won't that make them want to buy some? We have upkeep
expenses, don't we?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry I didn't tell her that," Pepsy said, "but I never
thought of it. You always think of things. I'm going to wash the ink off
your face, so hold still."

She dipped her gingham apron under the trapdoor in the flooring where
the clear, cool water was, and taking his chin in her coarse little
freckly hands, washed the face of her hero and partner. And meanwhile
Wiggle tugged on her apron as if he thought she were inflicting some
injury upon the boy.

So blinded was Pee-wee by this vigorous bath and so preoccupied the
others that for the moment none of them noticed the young fellow of
about twenty who, with hat tilted rakishly on the side of his head
and cigarette drooping from the corner of his mouth, stood in the road
watching them.

CHAPTER X

DEADWOOD GAMELY TALKS BUSINESS

Deadwood Gamely was the village sport and enjoyed a certain prestige
because his father was a lawyer. He was also somewhat of an object of
awe because he went to Baxter City every day, and worked in the bank
there.

His ramshackle Ford roadster was considered an evidence of the terribly
reckless extravagance of his habits, but it was really nothing more
than a sort of pocketbook, since all his money went into it, and a very
shabby one at that. He had a cheap wit and swaggeringly condescending
air which he practiced on the simple inhabitants of Everdoze, and in his
banter he was not always kind. Yet notwithstanding that he was tawdry
both in dress and speech the villagers did not venture much into the
conversational arena with him because they knew that they were not his
equals in banter and retort.

"Hello, little orphan Annie," he said. "Bungel was telling me the wagon
is coming for you pretty soon. Over the hi